Tread portion for shoes.



L. .MCMlLLAN.

TREAD PQRTION FOR SHOES. APPLICATlON FILED MAY z s. sms.

1,253,701. Patented Jan. 15, 1918.

WITNESSES ATTORNEY and which presents inforcement to State of North Carolina,

tam new'anduseful Improvements in Tread wearer to exert UNITED STATES PATENT orrron.

LEVI MDMILLAN, OF WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEVI MoMILLAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Nil mington, in the county, of New Hanover and have invented cer- Portions for Shoes, of which the following is a specification. My invention relates to an improvement in tread portions for shoes, and more particularly to such portions as are adapted to be used either forthe tread of the sole or heel. of a shoe and are constructed to be embodied in the shoe as manufactured or to be applied for the individual user, and which tread p01" tion is so constructed that a cushion efiect is obtained.

An object of my invention lies in con structin a tread member or portion from which t 1e top lift of a heel or the outer sole member of a shoe sole may be constructed a friction surface in. the central portion, which central portion is preferably of rubber or, a like material molded or otherwise placed within. a rim portion of leather which will give a comparatively smooth edge surfacenot having the same frictional properties as the cushion material, thus in a great measure eliminating the possibility of the heel becomingcaught in the skirt, trousers, or other garments of the sufficient frictional contact ther'cagamst that the fabric will be torn or injured, it of course being understood that the rim ortion and the filling core will be made to ave substantially a uniform thick,- ness throughout and to be secured together in such relation that the fastening of the tread portion may be accomplished through a part ofthe edging'material 'to thus give rethe" rubber core.

r A further object lea to provide a heel which comprises in umbination, a cushion block of rubber or ther suitable material to be mounted on the heel of a shoe to i've the desired cushioning resiliency thereto which rubber or other block possesses inherent frictional properties and a top lift to be applied and secured over the cushion block to form a smooth and more or less hard edge around the heel, which edge possesses inherently lesser frictional properties than the rubber cushion block but at thev same time to permit sufficient resiliency that give the pro 'I'BEAD PORTION FOB SHOES.

: Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J an; 15,1918. Application filed ma 29, me. SerlaiNo. 1oo.e1a.

the full effect of the cushion block will be obtained.

Yet another. objectlies in so mating the cushion block and the top liftthat the top lift may be removed and a new lift of the same proportion fitted in. place thereof to again utilize or reuse the cushion block, and to give a new tread surfaceto the heel. 7 With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combination of parts as will be hereinafter set forth in connection with the drawings and more particu larly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of the heel portion of a shoe with my invention applied thereon.

Fig. 2 is transverse sectional view through the structure disclosed in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the edging member or rim portion forthe top lift of a heel.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the completed top lift.

Fig.5 is a vieii in perspective showing the cushion block which will be used in building up a heel. i

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional yiew show ing a slightly modified form of edging or rim member. r

Fig. 7 is a perspective and sect-halal view showing the edging strip applied. in conjunction with a shoe sole.

The shoe upper l, at the heel portion, and

the sole portion 2 as well as the shoe heel 3 received upon a portion of the heel structure I which is left attached to the shoe, and this block may be of rubber, one of thesynthetie compositions used. in substitute therefor, orf

of any other suitable material which will or resiliency. The cushion block 4 is ma approximatel fit the heel or the heel pore of such a shape that it'will tion of the sole, and the openings 5 are formed 'therethrough for the reception of suitable fastening means which will be hereinafter described.

\Vhile the top lift which is to be secured over this cushion block 4 and to form the smooth edge on the tread of the heel might be constructed from a single layer of leather, it is preferable that it be constructed to have its center of a cushion material and to have the edge only of the material of a harder and smoother consistency, however, it is essential that this tread lift be constructed throughout of a material which will have inherent elastic qualities so that the lift ma give to the shape of the cushion block an the distribution of the weight and thus permit the accomplishment of the fullest measure 0 cushion action.

With the above in mind, it is preferable that the tread me her be constructed to constitute a rim portion 6 which may be of leather, fiber or other suitable material, and a central filling core 7 of rubber, one of the synthetic compositions, or other suitable material which will give cushion action. As is shown in Fig. 3, this rim 6 comprises a single piece of material, which may be leather, vulcanized fiber or other suitable material, and the member might be formed by molding, pressing, or cutting the material to the proper shape, and in the case of a flexible material such as leather. which can be readily formed to take various shapes the member might be shaped from a strip of material which would be bent to have the proper outline. This rim member 6 is cut away or otherwise reduced in its outer face and at the inner edge as shown at 8, and ears or tabs 9 are extended inwardly at each end and at the sides. The tabs 9 are preferably brought down in a gradual slope from the reduced portion at 8 so that they terminate in feather edges or at least have little thickness at these points, and for that matter the remainder of the member on. the inner edge might be reduced to have a comparatively thin cross section and thus .a greater space be left for the rubber or other cushion core 7. This filler pressed, or otherwise embedded within the cored out or grooved portion member 6 and that a greater cushion action may be obtaineda if; is preferable that the core 7 be rounde ut slightly on its outer side as shown in Fig. 2 although it will of course be understood that the inner side of the outer lift designated as a whole by the reference character 10 must be substantially flat. Nail receiving openings 11 are formed through the top lift 10 by being perforated through the filling core 7 and through the ears or tabs 9, and care should be exercise that thesenail receiving openings 11 are n exact registry withthe openings 5 of the cushion block 4:.

thedcsired at 7 is cast,

8 of the rim.

the heel is to be applied on a shoe which is already in use, the entire shoe heel maybe removed or may be brought down so thatjit will be comparatively low and will consist of a comparatively small number of lifts. The cushion block 4is then fitted in place and the top lift 10 is fitted over the cushion block 4: with the nail receiving openings 11 thereof in re istry with the nail receiving openings 5 of this block 4 and then the nails 12 are inserted through the openings 11 of the lift 10 so that they.pass tabs or ears9 and then through the openings 5 of the cushion block after which they are driven into the solid leather at the heel of the shoe. It is preferable that the filling core 7 of the heel lift have the openings 11 as formed-therein made slightly larger than these same openings are made through theears or tabs 9 and through the block 4; and thus the heads of the nails 12 may be brought down to bear against the ears or tabs 9 andin this way the nails will hold against the material of therim member 6,while the nail shanks have close fit within the openings of the ears or tabs and also in the openings 5. lVhen the parts are fitted in this relation, the rim member 6 will extend around the outer edge of the shoe 4 cushion block 4: so that theonly portion of this block which is exposed is the outer side edge, and thus the shoe heel presents a rim edge which is of a smooth and more or less hard consistencg which will not engage frictiona-lly with t e fabric of the garment in either putting the same with suflicient frictional cause tearing or injury of the fabric thereof. in any way, and at the same time-the core 7 and the cushion block 4 will resiliency and cushioning on or in walking, gripping force to action to the heel give sufficient through the openings in the heel to entirely cover the that it will relieve the ars and the fatiguing efiectincident to walkmgor standing.

the heads of thenails 12 are driven below the surface of the core material to bear againstthe ears or tabs 9, the nails will not come in contact with the floor,- pavementor other surface over which the wearer. is walking when the weight is placed on this outer lift and the cushion block 4 is consequently slightly compressed or distorted in its cushioning action.

cushion block sand the lift 10 While it is intended that the beconstructed as pairs it will heevident that when the' core 7 and the rim member 6 of a lift'or a pair of lifts have become worn, the nails 12 may be withdrawn and then a new lift 10 may be put in its place and the nails may be again passed throrilgh the openings 11 and 5 and driven into t e leather or the shoe to 18 mount this new pair of tread lifts on the heel, and in this way the cushion block 4 be reused a number of times and the heel may be built up by applying new tread lifts 10.

In Fig. 6 I have illustrated a slightly modified form of rim member, and as here shown the rim member will consist of the same outline as has been set forth above and will have the ears or tabs 13, however, the

cut away orrecessed ortion of this rim 1t is shaped to have a su 'stantially dove-tailed form asshown at 15, and thus the core portion 7 when cast, molded, or otherwise formed in conjunction with thisrim mem ber 14: will be secured against pulling out of the recessed portion, should the union between the eore and rim portion become .broken in any vwa- In Fig. 7 1 have illustrated a sli htly varied form of structure in which tie tread portion might be applied to a shoe sole to accomplish the same purpose for which it is intended upon the heel, and as here illustrated the rim portion 16 has an inwardly extending flange portion. 17 which is brought down to a thin edge and is disposed to lie in a plane with the inner-side of the rim member 16, and a core portion 18 of a suitable cushioning or frictioning material is east, molded, or otherwise placed to fill between the looped around portions of the rim member 16. In securing this sole in place, the stitching or nails may be penetrated through the rim portion 16 or through the core portion at its edges so that they will pass through the inwardly extending flange like portion 17 of the rim member, and 1n this way the structure will be reinforced at the point of securement.

While I have herein shown and described only certain specific forms of the structure and have set forth only certain ways in which it might be used, it will ofcourse be understood that a number of variations and t modifications might be resorted to in the form and arrangement of the parts and also in the manner of mounting the same in use, without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, in view of which fact I do not wish to be limited to the exact disclosure a leather rim portion provided with an mwardy extending portion of less thickness than the rim proper, and a-filling-core of rubber within the rim and overlying the inwardly extending portion while at the same time being shaped to accommodate the ex tending portion, the tread member having a substantially uniform thickness throughout.

2. A tread member for shoes comprising a leather rim portion shaped to provide inwardly extending tabs of less thickness than the main rim, and a filling core of rubber placed within the rim portion and overlyin the tabs while at the same time being forme to accommodate the thickness of the tabs, forming a center for the tread member and making the same of substantially uniform thickness throughout, said tread member provided with openings formed through the inwardly extending tabs of the rim portion and through the filling core to receive fastening means and the structure being so arranged that the tabs form reinforcement at the points of securement.

3. In combination a cushion block of rubber having fastening receiving openings formed therethrough, a tread member consisting of a leather rim portion provided with an inwardly extending flange of less thickness than the main part of the rim and a filling core of rubber within the rim portion and overlying the flange, and forming a tread member of substantially uniform thickness throughout, said tread portion being provided with fastening recelvin openings extending through the flange an registering with the openlngs of the cushion block and all of said parts so arranged that fastening means may be placed through the registering openings to secure the tread member and the cushionblock in the proper v 

